Home »
» Patience - By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Patience - By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Patience
By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Dear
Muslims: Patience is
enjoined upon believers and made a condition of success and prosperity: “O you
who believe! Persevere in patience and constancy; vie in such perseverance;
strengthen each other; and fear Allah; that you may prosper” (3:200). Also, the
Holy Quran tells us that the rewards of those who exercise patience will be
doubled: “Twice will they be given their reward, for that they have
persevered…” (28:54). According to another verse: “…Those who patiently
persevere will truly receive a reward without measure!” (39:10). Allah (SWT)
will reward those who have patience with a threefold reward: blessings, mercy
and guidance: “…but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere – who
say, when afflicted with calamity: ‘To Allah we belong, and to Him is our
return’ – they are those on whom (descend) blessings from their Lord, and Mercy
and they are the ones that receive guidance” (2:156-157).
Dear
Muslims: Patience and îmân
are prerequisites for leadership in religion: “And We appointed, from among
them, leaders, giving guidance under Our commands, so long as they persevered
with patience and continued to have faith in Our Signs” (32:24).
Patience is the way to earn the
companionship of Allah (SWT): “…and be patient and persevering: for Allah is
with those who patiently persevere” (8:46).
Moreover, patience is a means of seeking
Allah’s help: “…seek (Allah’s) help with patient perseverance and prayer…”
(2:45). Allah (SWT) also said: “Yea – if you remain firm, and act aright, even
if the enemy should rush here on you in hot haste, your Lord would help you
with five thousand angels making a terrific onslaught” (3:125). And: “…But if
you are constant and do right, not the least harm will their cunning do to
you…” (3:12). Allah (SWT) has promised the believers His support and victory,
and has said that they deserve this because of their patience: “…The fair
promise of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because they had
patience and constancy…” (7:137).
Dear
Muslims: Some scholars have defined patience as a
good human characteristic or a positive psychological attitude, by virtue of
which we refrain from doing that which is not good. Human beings cannot live a
proper, healthy life without patience.
A scholar said:
“To have patience means that one’s common sense and religious motives are
stronger than one’s whims and desires. However, patience is required in the
following areas of life:
1. In worshipping Allah and following His
commands,
2. In abstaining from wrong actions,
3. In accepting Allah’s decree and ruling (qadâ’ wa qadr). This is the advice
given to Luqmân when he told his son:
“O my son!
establish regular prayer, enjoin what is just and forbid what is wrong; and
bear with patient constancy whate’er betide you; for this is firmness (of
purpose) in (the conduct of) affairs.” (31:17).
Patience in worshipping Allah (SWT) and
carrying out His instructions means that you perform the prescribed acts of
worship regularly and do so sincerely and with knowledge. Worship that is not
performed regularly is of no value. Even if worship is performed regularly,
there are two dangers. Firstly, we risk losing our sincerity, if the motive for
performing prayers is not to please Allah and draw closer to Him. So to protect
our worship we must make sure that we are sincere. Secondly, we must be sure
never to deviate from the way of the Prophet (PBUH), so we have to ensure that
our worship is done according to the Sunnah.
Patience also helps us in abstaining from
wrong action. This type of patience can be achieved through the fear of the
punishment which follows the wrong action, or through a feeling of hayâ’
(shyness or shame) before Allah (SWT) for using His blessings in committing
wrong actions. That feeling of hayâ’ before Allah (SWT) can be strengthened
through learning more about Allah and knowing more about His names and
attributes.
Dear
Muslims: Good patience
consists of two types: patience for the sake of Allah (SWT) and patience by the
help of Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) said: “Now await in patience the command of
your Lord: for verily you are in Our eyes...” (52:48).
It is impossible to have patience for the sake of Allah (SWT) without
patience by the help of Allah:
“And be patient,
for your patience is but by Allah...” (16:127).
Those who have patience are the winners in
this world and the next, because Allah is with them: “for Allah is with those
who patiently persevere” (al-Baqarah 2:153).
Dear Brothers And Sisters In
Islam: When a person
avoids discontentment with the destiny of Allah (SWT), he becomes satisfied
with everything that Allah has destined for him; when evil afflicts him, he
observes patience which is good for him; and when he is granted goodness, he
offers praise to Allah which is also good for him.
Man is susceptible to afflictions which may affect
himself, his family, his wealth, his friends and others around him. Therefore,
if he can remain patient through these, awaiting a release from Allah, then all
of these afflictions will be reasons for the forgiveness of his sins and the
elevation of his rank in the sight of Allah. There are numerous verses in the
Qur’aan and Ahadeeth regarding this. Almighty Allah says: “And we will surely test you with something of
fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give glad
tidings to the patient. Who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed we belong
to Allah and indeed to Him we will return.’” (2:155-156).
Umm Salamah said: I heard the Prophet
(PBUH) saying, “There is no Muslim afflicted with calamity who says ‘To Allah
we belong and to Him is our return; O Allah reward me for this calamity and
compensate me with what is better for me,’ but Allah will compensate him with
what is better for him.” She said: “When Abû Salamah died, I said: ‘Who among
Muslims is better than Abû Salamah? His household was the first to migrate to
the Messenger of Allah!’ Anyhow, I said what what the Prophet (PBUH) taught us
to say, and Allah compensated me with the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet
(PBUH) sent Hâtib ibn Abî Balta‘ah to ask for my hand in marriage on his
behalf, but I told him that I had a daughter, and that I was a very jealous
woman. The Prophet (PBUH) responded: ‘As far as her daughter is concerned, I
shall pray to Allah to make her independent, and I shall pray to Allah to take
away her jealousy.’ So I married the Messenger (PBUH).” (Muslim).
Also, from Â’ishah (RAA) via ‘Urwah and az-Zuhri:
“The Prophet (PBUH) said: ‘No affliction befalls a Muslim but Allah forgives
his wrong actions because of it, even if it be no more than a thorn’.”
(al-Bukhârî and Muslim).
May Allah (SWT)
help us to do whatever pleases Him, bless, guide and forgive us all. (Ameen).
